Reviews by Friends of EricMiles

Meri says "Whoa! Foam overload-" about Aquafresh Iso-Active Toothpaste

Meri — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:47:01 GMT

I have used Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste for a couple of years now. I like the way it makes my teeth feel after brushing. When I saw commercials for the Aquafresh Iso-Active Toothpaste I thought it was a no-brainer. The foaming concept made sense; that being that the foam would whoosh up into small crevices, nooks and crannies, cleaning where no toothpaste had gone before.

The toothpaste comes in a can that dispenses the toothpaste through a pumping system. When pumped, it looks like normal gel toothpaste. Start to brush and the fun begins. The once tame toothpaste starts to foam. The more you brush, the more foam grows in your mouth. It is almost like it is alive- The toothpaste is supposed to foam up and work its way into hidden areas in your mouth, claiming it cleans better than ordinary toothpaste and can remove 3X more bacteria while it is doing its thing. Oh, did I mention it is supposed to whiten teeth as well?

Bottomline:

The Aquafresh Iso-Active Toothpaste does foam up as...

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Meri says "protects and seals without fail" about Krylon Workable Fixatif

Meri — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:44:30 GMT

I love crafts and painting. For years I have created personal projects for friends and family members but after going to all the work I want my projects to be protected. That is why I use Krylon Workable Fixatif.

Fixatif is easy to use. It comes in an aerosol can so it sprays on. The product comes out in a fine mist so it is hard to get too much of it on the item you are spraying. It works on charcoal drawings, pencil, watercolors, India ink and crayon projects. It prevents charcoal and chalk drawings from smudging and allows easy reworking of the project.

The Krylon Workable Fixatif makes colors "pop" off the page. It is the perfect product to finish a project. Maybe one of the best things about it is that it is acid-free and archival safe.

To use:

Shake the can for two minutes. Hold the project 6-9 inches away from the can and spray in a sweeping motion. The product dries fast so it is easy to apply several thin coats without risking running and ruining the project.

The Fixatif dries...

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Meri says "Foams away disposal grunge- whoosh!" about Magic American Products Disposal Magic

Meri — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:13:46 GMT

I am always looking for a way to deodorize my garbage disposal. I have tried real lemons, little balls of lemon scent and a citrus cleaner that claimed to do the trick. I am impressed with any of them. The Disposal Magic product is a cut above the rest but I am still on my quest to find something that will take my breath away! [not literally, of course]

The package I bought contained 8 packets or pouches of cleaner. Although the bag says it is easy to use, I found that one time it did not foam away anything. I had to use a second pouch for the foam to rise up and act as though it was cleaning.

To use the Disposal Magic, simply turn on the hot water and let it stream into the disposal for at least a minute. Turn the water so it becomes a trickle. The disposal should be off at this point.

Continuing with the disposal on off, insert one of the packets into the disposal. You don't have to unwrap it or anything- just put the whole thing in.

Now, turn on the disposal. If it works correctly, a...

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AnnaBanana says "A great treat but -- Chocoholics, don't hold your breath!" about Skinny Cow Low Fat Fudge Bars

AnnaBanana — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:03:02 GMT

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I found another "alternate" dessert since one cannot live by Pumpkin Pie alone. If you've eaten a big dinner or it is getting late in the evening and you just want a light sweet snack, you might want to try Skinny Cow Low Fat Fudge Bars which are delicious big hunks of ice cream firmly grounded on a sturdy stick for convenient indulging. These frozen bars don't really taste like a low-fat product -- alas, they do not really taste much like chocolate either! To all the Chocoholics out there, I can save you a lot of time and disappointment by advising you to look somewhere else for your true fudge fix.

STATS:

A 74 gram frozen bar is considered to be a single serving containing 100 calories with 10 calories from fat. There are 1 gram Total Fat, a half a gram Saturated Fat, zero Trans Fat, 3 mg. Cholesterol, 45 mg. Sodium, 22 grams Total Carbs, 4 grams Dietary Fiber, 13 grams Sugars and 4 grams Protein. Also included in each bar are 2% (D.V.) Vitamin A, 4% Iron,...

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AnnaBanana says "I could get used to this!" about Progresso 100% Natural Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

AnnaBanana — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:24:12 GMT

There I was the other day, rudely shoving the last leftovers from Thanksgiving around, when to my horror I discovered MORE leftovers in my freezer compartment. Apparently the last time I had bought a roast chicken from Dominick's, I had not finished it and just stuffed what was left in the freezer for "later." Now here I was, with some leftover chicken and also -- as fate would have it -- most of the Del Monte convenience cut onions and celery (which I had used for my stuffing), a half a pound of baby carrots, a half a bag of egg noodles and -- most importantly -- almost an entire 32 oz. carton of Progresso 100% Natural Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth. If ever there was a time to make Chicken Noodle Soup, this was it but first I tried a little of the broth.

A BETTER IDEA

Progresso means what they say when it comes to "All Natural" as this ingredients list bears out: chicken broth, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, sea salt, carrot puree, salt, natural flavor, chicken powder, chicken...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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Meri says "So long overdone rolls, so long burnt cookies... " about Pampered Chef Stoneware

Meri — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:10:32 GMT

Pampered Chef Stoneware turned me into an awesome baker. If I had not experienced baking with it I probably would be quite skeptical. So long overdone rolls, so long burnt cookies... truly amazing.

I have never burned baked goods while using the Pampered Chef Stoneware pieces. In fact, my cookies look as if I bought them at a bakery- perfectly baked to a golden brown. The secret to the way it browns is in the way the stoneware is made- each piece of stoneware is formed from a natural stoneware clay that evenly distributes heat and draws moisture away from the stone. As if that isn't enough of a sell, the stone retains heat so it acts like a warming dish after the items are baked. Somehow, it doesn't burn the baked item.

Seasoning the Stone:

It takes a little getting used to baking with any piece of Pampered Chef Stoneware. After receiving one you first need to wash it with hot water. The next step is called "seasoning" the stone. This is done by either baking a couple batches of high...

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Meri says "overwhelmed and under manned..." about Sears Appliance Repair Service

Meri — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:42:21 GMT

We purchased all new kitchen appliances less than five years ago. They were all Kenmore products that we bought through Sears. We have had great luck with Kenmore appliances in the past and so we gave them our loyalty. It was not deserved loyalty however.

Several months ago we had to call the Sears Appliance Repair Service number to make an appointment as our dishwasher was not draining. We were given an appointment nearly three weeks into the future. The day arrived and the service tech man came and repaired the dishwasher at a tune of nearly $400. [if we had not let him repair it we would have had to pay a $65 service call fee] The dishwasher works fine again and all was well until our refrigerator went out.

One night I smelled an electrical fire smell. I went through the house trying to locate the source but couldn't find it. I decided maybe it had come in from outside. I went to bed. I noticed that the fridge was not staying cool and the food in the freezer side was thawing. I called...

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Meri says "love the concept- service needs improvement" about Primetime on Demand

Meri — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:18:42 GMT

I have Time Warner Cable, telephone and internet [roadrunner] service. One of the features of the cable service is Primetime on Demand. The concept of the free service is to make primetime television shows available for those who have missed episodes for whatever reason. I LOVE the idea. The service can use some improvement though as not all of the primetime shows are archived. This can get quite frustrating so you have to know which shows will be saved on the service and pick and choose which ones you view on live TV.

The Primetime on Demand service as it exists right now covers FX, NBC, CBS, and USA networks. ABC does NOT participate in the service. The number of shows listed vary between the networks. The great part about the service is that the shows are stored up to four weeks so you could even go back and watch four shows in a row if you wanted to.

In addition to Primetime on Demand TWC also has A&E on Demand, BBC on Demand and a few others. There is also a Free Movies on Demand...

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Meri says "worst phone I've ever owned" about Samsung - A737 Slider Cell Phone

Meri — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:51:44 GMT

A year and a half ago my son and I bought the same phone- the Samsung - A737 Slider Cell Phone in different colors. Neither one of us has been happy with them.

After we had the phones for a two days we took them back into the Best Buy where we had gotten the phones to trade them for different phones. We explained that the reception range was horrible on them and that we had too many dropped calls. The rep installed internal antennas [at our expense] to help with the range problem. It did seem to help for a while.

My son then went back to Utah to college and of course, I stayed here in Upstate, New York. We spent a few phone calls to each other complaining about the phones but decided to suck it up and deal with the problems. As soon as the 30 day exchange period expired the phones started acting up again. My son would complain that his battery would get really hot after speaking for a few minutes. I didn't believe him and thought he was exaggerating until my phone started doing the...

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AnnaBanana says "Mashed potatoes which are convenient but delicious!" about Ore-Ida Steam N Mash Russet Potatoes

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:22:38 GMT

I can hardly believe that there was a time, decades ago, when nearly everybody who cooked ended up peeling and boiling potatoes at least two or three times a week. Those were the days ... when it just seemed a routine thing to do ... and the end results were almost always delicious. Nowadays, with busy two-income families or casual cooks like me, there are a lot of mashed-potato lovers who yearn for the homemade item but have neither the time nor inclination to make them. For those people, help has arrived -- Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes.

Ore-Ida is the gold standard for potato convenience and quality and this product is no exception. You don't even have to puncture the microwave-safe bag to vent -- just stick the darned thing in there with the seam side up and microwave on high for ten minutes (meanwhile, there is one less boiling pot to take up a burner on your regular stove -- a fact which can mean a lot during the preparation of a big dinner). For safety's sake, wait a while...

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AnnaBanana says "A delicious way to cheat a little." about Kraft Stove Top Stuffing for Turkey

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:06:43 GMT

Now may be the time to confess all and share a shameful secret with the rest of you -- when I roast a turkey, I cheat a little and use Kraft's Stove Top Stuffing for Turkey. (Three packages is perfect for a 12 to 14 pound bird, with a little left over to bake in a separate pan.) Martha Stewart would probably cringe at the thought of this but that's okay because Martha Stewart I am not. Until yesterday, it never occurred to me that there could be anything of value (aside from sheer convenience and ease of preparation) in Kraft's famous (or infamous, depending on your outlook) product. Then I checked out the ingredient and nutrition information and it is not as disastrous as you may think. If you aren't a threat to Martha Stewart either -- and you just want to get the gol-darned bird in the oven -- then Stove Top Stuffing may be for you.

STATS:

Information is given for either the "dry mix" or "prepared stuffing" but ... because no one wants to eat the dry mix ... I will share the...

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AnnaBanana says "If you didn't try to depend on THIS, be thankful!" about Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turker Baster

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:05:22 GMT

I was fortunate enough to be invited to eat someone ELSE's turkey on Thanksgiving but yesterday what went around came around and it was my turn to cook. This year I tried my best to be organized, to avoid last-minute desperation runs to the store, misplaced items, etc. As part of this campaign to Be Prepared (as the Boy Scouts would say), I had made absolutely positively sure that I was equipped with a turkey baster -- the Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turkey Baster to be exact, which had cost $1.49 at Peapod. There I was in the morning with a 14 lb. turkey which nearly filled the roasting pan which was almost impossible to pick up (God gives us strength we don't know we have for occasions like this!) and only then did I realize that the Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turkey Baster didn't work.

You may be familiar with this type of device which consists of a plastic sheath topped with a rubber bulb. One squeezes the bulb, forcing air out of the bulb and the sheath, then plunges the other end of the...

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AnnaBanana says "Mail enhancement!" about photostamps.com

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:48:30 GMT

No matter how much you love exchanging gifts with a special person, it is easy to get into a rut where you keep buying the same things again and again. My favorite Auntie and I are a case in point -- after sharing nearly 68 holiday seasons together, we still look forward eagerly to each other's presents but my own contributions were beginning to get a bit routine -- surprises which weren't really surprises any more, i.e., the B&G Christmas Plate, books, cologne, apparel, etc. Those things will always be on the agenda, of course, but this year I decided to "live dangerously" and try something different too ... personalized postage stamps bought from Photostamps.com.

EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE

Following the simple directions at Photostamps.com, just upload a photo, customize it as you wish and place your order. The cost of a sheet of stamps depends on the postage value, plus an additional fee. As it so happens, I had a cute Christmas Past picture of Aunt Tatty sitting by her tree,...

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AnnaBanana says "It may not exactly taste like Fannie May, but HEY!" about Viactiv Calcium Chews

AnnaBanana — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:30:50 GMT

We all enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast today at my friend's house in Brookfield and afterward, as I was chatting with my hostess in her kitchen, I noticed a box of Viactive Calcium Chews sitting on a countertop. I had been curious about this product for a long time and as it just so happened, I had forgotten to take my morning dose of my usual CVS Pharmacy Calcium 600 + D Supplement so I waded right in and asked my friend for one of her Viactiv Calcium Chews.

I won't lie to you and say that these chews are as good as Fannie May caramels. They aren't but they are delicious just the same with no hint of an aftertaste or calamitous digestive side effect. I thought they were QUITE chewy and I suggest -- unless you really have 100% confidence in your teeth and fillings -- that you suck on a Viactive chew to soften it a little instead of chomping right down. Viactiv Calcium Chews come in an assortment of flavors including Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Mochaccino, Raspberry and Orange...

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AnnaBanana says "Don't look now, but I think I'm being seduced!" about Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

AnnaBanana — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:44:11 GMT

For most of my life, I have been a fan of Lawry's Seasoned Salt and I must say that I still think it is delicious. I may never give up on it totally but recently I have found a rival for my affections -- Tastefully Simple All Natural Seasoned Salt. This product is very much like Lawry's signature product and has almost exactly the same nutritional values -- 380 mg. sodium per 1/4 tsp -- but it also has a character all its own perhaps because it contains sea salt, along with red and green peppers (in addition to the garlic, onions, spices, paprika and other good things found in Lawry's as well).

MY VIEWPOINT:

Today I tried Tastefully Simple All Natural Seasoned Salt with a little cottage cheese and enjoyed it very much. This is more than just a knock-off of Lawry's famous seasoning. I probably will never totally give up on my first love but definitely find myself being seduced by Tastefully Simple's entry into the seasoned salt race. I bought this delightful seasoning from This2ShallPass19...

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AnnaBanana says "I couldn't have bought a better toaster than this at any price!" about KitchenAid Two-Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster Model KTT340WH

AnnaBanana — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:59:08 GMT

I won't lie to you -- I am a sucker for a great piece of toast, a personality trait which has become more pronounced since I retired and have been eating more breakfasts and lunches at home. For more than eight years -- through good times and bad -- my dear old Krups Sensotoast Compact Model 288P has been at my side, faithfully browning my bread until recently when I began to have trouble getting the bread rack to stay down. Occasional flashes were another ominous sign that trouble was brewing. Then I remembered those old Home Depot gift cards that I had accumulated for the kitchen redecorating that never happened. On a hunch, I poked around in the H.D. site and found just the ticket for a toast lover -- the KitchenAid Two Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster Model No. KTT340WH which cost $49.99. There are probably more upscale toasters out there but no amount of money could have bought an appliance that makes better toast than this.

The KitchenAid Two Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster...

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Meri says "Olivio makes me feel better about my butter addiction." about Olivio Premium Products Olivio Spread

Meri — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:50:21 GMT

If I was keeping a life time-line, 2009 would be the year of the olive oil. This year I have discovered olive oil soap and olive oil moisturizer to go with the butter substitute made from olive oil I've used for over five years now. Olivio was recommended by my Father's doctor and then my Father recommended it to me. The butter substitute is called, Olivio.

Olivio has a rich, buttery flavor that tastes great. You can buy it as a premium spread in a large tub made of light olive oil, a spreadable butter that combines real butter with canola and olive oil to make a healthier butter and a buttery spray that is perfect for diets because you can control the amount you spray.

All of the Olivio products can be frozen so I always make sure I have an extra in the freezer- just in case.

What makes Olivio unique?

all products- no trans fat

premium spread & spray- no cholesterol

spray- has zero calories per serving

spreadable butter- half the saturated fat and 1/3 the cholesterol of butter,
400...

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Meri says "a Christmas Tradition for over 50 years..." about Wrigley Life Savers Sweet Storybook

Meri — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:52:56 GMT

Yesterday I was in Target looking at the Life Saver Storybooks. I couldn't help but smile and wondered if I should get a few to include in my grandchildren's packages.

From my earliest Christmas memories, Life Saver Sweet Storybooks have been a consistent tradition. Every year Santa always put a book in my stocking as well as a book in my little brother's stocking. The variety of flavors in the rolls were a total adventure to us and we would wheel and deal with each other to end up with two rolls of our favorite flavor. Neither one of us liked the Butter Rum rolls so our Dad got a treat as well.

Since I was a "cruncher" with a sweet tooth my storybook would be finished long before my brother's. Sometime before Valentine's Day I would talk him out of whatever he had left. For me, Christmas came twice in those discarded rolls of candy.

When I became a Mom the tradition continued. Santa always remembered to include a storybook in each of my kid's stockings. Sometime along the way, Life Saver...

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AnnaBanana says "Destined to brighten the corner where they are." about Colonial Candles of Cape Cod Hand-Dipped Tapers

AnnaBanana — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:48:11 GMT

I am second to none in my appreciation of electricity and the illumination it has provided us so faithfully at the flip of a switch. With that said, I must admit that I am also a sucker for candlelight as well ... and if you like candles, you will love Colonial Candles of Cape Cod. They are expensive but well worth the money, delivering clean, extensive and smooth "burn time." I have bought the Classic Tapers (8") in a beautiful Amber (or "rust" color) but my favorites are the 6" Hand-Dipped Tapers which were available in a delicate shell pink color which matched the Winter Peach painted walls in my bedroom perfectly.

Colonial Candles of Cape Cod Hand-Dipped Tapers (6" size) cost $27 for a box of 12 and fit perfectly into the "hurricane lamp" candle holders on my bedroom dresser. They have helped to get me through some dark electricity power outages and they lend a cozy ambience to any occasion. Colonial Candles of Cape Cod Hand-Dipped Tapers come in 44 colors and...

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